Two indigenous girls ‘raped’ in Bandarban

Two adolescent girls of the ethnic community Tripura have been raped allegedly by the members of Border Guard Bangladesh in Lama upazila of Bandarban, according to victims and locals.

The victimised teenagers on Thursday filed a case with the Lama police station a day after the incident on Wednesday night.

Lama police station officer-in-charge (OC) Appela Raju Naha said none has been arrested in connection with the incident.

He also said necessary steps will be taken after an investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, the girls, the OC added, have been sent to Bandarban Sadar Hospital for a medical check-up.

Locals said three armed members from the BGB’s Fasiakhali union camp went to the Tripura neighbourhood in the Lama upazila around 10:00pm on Wednesday.

They called out two Tripura girls over phone to a nearby jungle where two of the BGB men raped the girls at gunpoint while other guarded them, the locals added.

The victims alleged that the BGB men called them out over a phone through a certain aunt of the girls. 

The girls said when they refused to go with them, the aunt told them that it will create a problem.

At first, the BGB members, according to the girls, offered them money. When they refused, the BGB men threatened and raped them at gunpoint.

When the community people appeared to save them, the BGB men fled the spot, according to the case statement.

Bandarban superintendent of police (SP) Zakir Hossain Majumdar said the girls were interrogated in presence of BGB officials, upazila nirbahi officer and police high-ups.

“They have specifically filed complaints against three BGB men. We have registered the case upon their statements,” the SP added.

Bimal Tripura, a witness of the incident, said, “When we came to know the incident, we began searching the girls. A BGB man stopped us. They finally fled the spot when community people appeared.”

Lutfur Rahman, a businessman at Banfur Bazar, and a physician Ringku Das there said the BGB men are known to the locals. They used to discharge duties in the market area and buy kitchen items from the ethnic community and the market.

BGB’s Naikhongchhari battalion commander lieutenant colonel Asaduzzaman said a team of BGB was on duty in the Banfur Bazar area. But, they were not supposed to go to the Tripura neighbourhood.

“The names mentioned in the case statement do not match the names of BGB men deployed at the Banfur camp. We are investigating into the matter should any BGB members concealing their names went there.”

The BGB official said it is very unfortunate if the incident really takes place.

“We must condemn it if the incident is a fabricated one,” Asaduzzaman said.

Fasiakhali union parishad chairman Zaker Hossain Majumdar said there is no doubt that an incident has taken place. However, everything will be cleared after the investigation, he added.